From last week to be continue....
God had a higher purpose in Job’s life when He allowed Satan to touch him and sift him. Satan wanted to destroy Job, but God did build him up in the knowledge of God, of His sovereignty, His justice, and His loving care. Moreover, Job did learn more about his sinful “self.” He did know human sinful nature but he had never abhorred or disgusted his “self” and repented in great humility until he encountered his Maker, the holy and righteous God. Job already knew that when God tried him, he would come forth as gold (23:10), and surely after having gone through his trials, Job did experience it and did come forth as gold: he was refined from the dross of self-righteousness, self-goodness, self-justification, self-will, and so forth. He did learn to be humble and submissive to His Maker and His just dealings no matter what might happen to his life. Satan failed because Job did not curse God as he tempted him through trials, through the foolish suggestion of Job’s wife, and through the false accusations of Job’s three “friends.” God’s grace was sufficient for Job to see him through the trials. Praise the Lord!
It is God’s will and providence that the life of Job and his great sufferings were recorded in the Holy Scriptures for the comfort and learning of His people in all ages. James reminds Christians of the patience of Job and the tender mercy of God so that they may endure their sufferings with joy (James 4:11). Through our trials we will know more about God and ourselves. God is always sovereign and just. Is it true that God is never unjust even if He puts all men in hell? Absolutely true! If a man really knows God’s righteousness, his total depravity, and his justification based on God’s grace in Christ’s atonement alone, he will be submissive to the Lord in his trials and realize that his sufferings are still much lighter than the sufferings in hell which he deserves. Only by this heart-knowledge can he give thanks and praise to the Lord for His mercy endures forever. Moreover, he understands that the trials from his righteous and loving Father are necessary for his spiritual life because he is being purged, pruned, refined, purified, and conformed into the image of his Lord Jesus Christ.
Job must have realized that it was God’s grace and mercy that he could repent and stand firm in faith until the end, not because of any good things from him. Like Peter, who was sifted by Satan, but Peter could repent and stand firm in faith because the Lord Jesus had prayed for him (Luke 22:31-32).
Reward and Blessings
After having learnt the lesson from the Lord in humble repentance, Job was brought out of his trials. His three friends who accused and condemned him were required by the Lord to come to Job with sacrifices so that Job could pray for them. And “also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before” (42:7-10). Job had also seven sons and three daughters. As human beings with eternal souls, once we die we are not finished like animals. So Job did have double the number of children, twenty altogether! After this Job lived an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations (42:16). What a blessing! Job must have tasted God’s goodness and praised the Lord for His faithfulness and mercy for the rest of his life.
Conclusion
It is not easy for you and me to suffer a long-lasting trial with false accusations and condemnations from others, even from our friends. It is a really hard testing! Sooner or later, our sinful “self” will be exposed if it has not yet been crucified with the Lord Jesus and does not die daily (Gal 2:20; 1 Cor 15:31).
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